34 thoughts on “Coming Soon to Shabak Dungeons Near You – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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      1. Indeed you are a brave man Richard.

        I would hope that as long as you stay in the US your worries about shabak cells is moot—do you have a reason to believe otherwise? What worries me more in that context is the safety of your sources “behind the rapidly closing iron curtain”.

        I believe your braveness is most demonstrable when thinking about the social cost you have to pay within Jewish American society for telling them the truth about their pet project.

        1. I don’t feel any pressure here in the U.S. I would also think anyone supporting my work in Israel shouldn’t face any repercussions as they are not violating Israeli law in doing so. Though the intelligence agencies do tend to make it up as they go along & sometimes try to make perfectly legal acts appear to be nefarious.

    1. A quick question:

      How much courage or bravery is required from a man sitting in his house near “the shores of lake Washington” in order to verbally attack a country some 12000 miles away?

      I am genuinely curious about the answer for this.

      My thoughts: bloggers come and go by the millions. In this day and age, anyone can claim to be a hero behind his computer monitor. No bravery to be found here.

      Perhaps if Richard was truly brave, he would go to Israel/Palestine and fight for what he is passionate about. He would help the occupied Palestinians and document their miserable lives. He might even participate in a protest or two and stand face to face with those soldiers and cops that he attacks day and night from his comfy couch in safe Seattle.
      If he did that, he would gain a considerable amount of respect from me and others…even though we disagree on almost every one of his opinions.
      Brave people take action. Cowards sit in front of computers and complain.

      1. How much courage or bravery is required from a man sitting in his house near “the shores of lake Washington” in order to verbally attack a country some 12000 miles away?

        Readers I respect more than you seem to disagree with your assumption. The bravery they note has nothing to do with way you articulate things. It has to do with taking a stand on behalf of a vision of Israeli democracy which I have.

        No bravery to be found here.

        I’m rapidly losing patience w. you & yr attitude. No one here needs to have a debate about whether or not I’m brave. If that’s what you want to spend yr time doing be my guest. But you’ll rapidly wear out yr welcome I assure you.

        he would go to Israel/Palestine and fight for what he is passionate about.

        Blah, blah, blah. Only the 25th or 50th time someone has raised this alleged argument. The problem w. yours is that according to traditional Jewish belief kol Yisrael erayvim zeh ba-zeh. Meaning that all Israel is responsible one for the other. And every Jew has a right to participate in whatever way they see fit in the fate of Israel. Israel recruits the Diaspora for support. Therefore I have every right to offer such support as I see fit. If you or someone else doesn’t like it or find it useful, gey gesunt. It doesn’t interest me.

        He would help the occupied Palestinians and document their miserable lives.

        Which you don’t think I’m doing now? I’ve got a line out the door of Palestinians who say otherwise.

        He might even participate in a protest or two

        You’re so Old School. YOu think to protest you need to physically be in a place?? You think that in this digital day & age you can’t protest the Occupation outside Israel? How quaint. Have you ever heard of the Internets?

        If he did that, he would gain a considerable amount of respect from me

        And you think that earning yr respect is something meaningful to me?

        Cowards sit in front of computers

        That’s a serious comment rule violation. Read the rules. Follow them.

        1. Richard, i do not think you are a coward, however under current conditions at which you are located 12,000 miles away from our shores, you will not pay the price if your promotions effort will be successful. Yes you are right,”kol israel haverim” etc. but there are those who shad blood and there are those who speak loud. the opinion of all Jews residing overseas should be heard, but should not be taken seriously.

          1. That’s nonsense. I don’t need to shed blood to have a perfect right to do what I do. I’m tired of this conversation & won’t explain or defend to you or anyone else my right to do this. If you don’t like it that’s too bad. Get off this subject. If you don’t want to take my views seriously than go somewhere else. The fact that you’re here means either you’re a hypocrite or a liar or simply don’t understand yr own motivations for doing what you’re doing.

  1. Yes, you are brave, and Medawar confesses to a sense of guilty relief that your dwelling is thousands of miles from here.

  2. Perhaps this is not the right thread to be writing this, but I have a general comment regarding this website.

    Going over the articles from the last few days, I have seen countless instances of comments being deleted by Richard. The overwhelming majority of these comments are those that oppose the opinions presented by Richard in this blog (for example, those presented by “Objective”). I have not seen any evidence of these comments being exceptionally rude or disrespectful, and for the most part they were well thought and presented valid arguments (as opposed to Richards’ replies which almost never respond to the arguments but rather issue warnings and argumentum ad hominem). Therefore, to an observer from the side, these moderations seem unwarranted.

    Now, this is your blog and you can do whatever you want with it. You describe yourself as a “progressive thinker”. This implies that you are open for criticism and discussion, even with those who do not agree with your views. However I and many others are reluctant to put the effort into having a discussion if our comments will just be moderated or deleted.

    If you don’t want any discussion than at least don’t claim to be a “progressive” thinker or a person interested in the truth and justice.

    My 0.02$…

    1. I have no interest in discussing, defending or explaining my editorial decisions. I’m a human being & I admit that there are times after reading 30,000 or so of these suckers that yet another dumb-cluck comment that has appeared here in 14 previous incarnations here just drives me over the edge. If that happens I don’t believe in boring myself or my readers w. seeing the same thing a 15th time. 98% of the time I’m very careful about deciding which comments to delete & which commenters to moderate or ban. Of course, there are times when I just get so damn ticked off by a comment or commenter that I may react too sensitively. But that’s why it’s my blog.

      I concede I’ve been testy & irascible w. a few commenters who I’ve allowed to provoke me. I prob. should’ve tried to be more tolerant. But I really hate reading the same arguments over & over & get tired of having to deal with repetition ad nauseam.

      1. *How does one put a paragraph in block quote style like you do in many of your comments? If you can edit this please do so…
        ***
        “I admit that there are times after reading 30,000 or so of these suckers that yet another dumb-cluck comment that has appeared here in 14 previous incarnations here just drives me over the edge. ”
        ***
        There is no need to attack those commenters personally and call then names. I find this to be a rather juvenile approach.
        I also find this claim of yours to be quite ironic, since you are as redundant as many of those commenters. It may be hard for you to admit but many of your posts are just recycled pieces of information and obsessive attempts to bash a certain group/entity/organization. There are countless motifs in your posts that have been chewed to death…so I would be careful labeling others as repetitive and redundant.

        ****
        98% of the time I’m very careful about deciding which comments to delete & which commenters to moderate or ban. Of course, there are times when I just get so damn ticked off by a comment or commenter that I may react too sensitively.
        ****
        Interesting. With a very slight variation in those two sentences, it would be a rather accurate description of the shabak/shin-bet (with respect to freedom of speech in Israel).
        Maybe you two are not so different after all?

        ***
        But I really hate reading the same arguments over & over & get tired of having to deal with repetition ad nauseam.
        ***
        Again, these emotions are shared by many visitors of this blog… but towards your posts.

        You can take two approaches regarding this blog, but you cannot dance on both weddings (a Hebrew idiom).
        1) This blog is attempting to cater towards progressive thinkers. You want to deal with critical issues in a respectful and mature way and listen to all opinions presented, even those which differ greatly from yours. This will require special attention and patience from yourself in order to assure that all views are presented and taken into consideration.
        2) This blog is an Agar plate for Israel policy bashing. Richard and his minions (Mary, Shirin etc…) are welcome to comment freely and all those attempting to refute Richard’s arguments are persona non grata.

        The choice is yours. However, please note that if you do pick option #2 you are either a hypocrite or a liar (this is based of your description of the blog and its’ targets).

        “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” – Evelyn Beatrice Hall

        1. It may be hard for you to admit but many of your posts are just recycled pieces of information and obsessive attempts to bash a certain group/entity/organization.

          First, you’re full of crap. Second, I write the blog, I write what I want, I set the rules. If you or anyone doesn’t like what I write, thinks I repeat myself, don’t visit.

          So here’s a news flash. You want to discuss the substance of the blog or the issues–fine. You want to mouth off about my choice of subject matter, how I edit the blog, moderate comments…take a hike. And take this “advice” very carefully as I do in giving it to you.

          it would be a rather accurate description of the shabak/shin-bet (with respect to freedom of speech in Israel).
          Maybe you two are not so different after all?

          That’s rich. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that I write a blog and they torture people. There’s a small difference. The only rules they follow are ones they make up themselves. They don’t respect freedom of speech by anyone in their sites or custody.

          these emotions are shared by many visitors of this blog

          “Many?” And you know this how? I’m only seeing one visitor saying that. And even if there are ten you’re a very small proportion of everyone who reads this blog. As such you’re a statistical fluke.

          1. Richard, just for the record.
            The Shabak doesn’t make the rules, The Kneset does.
            the Shabak complies with the letter of the law. same as the FBI in the US.

          2. the Shabak complies with the letter of the law.

            Ho, ho, ho. You bet it does. Every day & in every way. Do you think this is even remotely credible to anyone? And you really wish to contend that the Knesset has any oversight capacity of the Shin Bet? Can you tell me one time when the Knesset has exercised such control in any form to rein in illicit behavior?

          3. can but those incidents are actually classified.
            Besides what happened to the great American notion, that someone is innocent until proven guilty? Can YOU provide any evidence to your accusation? And actually specify an incident from the last 20 years at which any shin bet representative broke the law and wasn’t prosecuted for that?

            The knesset through one of its committees has full oversight over the shabak. that is how things are done in a democracy, and despite what one may think, israel is a democracy

          4. No, the security services actually like to brag when they foil a terror attack. They’ve done it regularly & I have NO doubt they’d do it if it happened at Ben Gurion.

            Donna Shalala was innocent too but she was treated as if she were guilty. So much for racial profiling & Israeli democracy.

            There are thousands of incidents in which the SHin Bet has broken the law. Torture is banned under Supreme Court rulings yet the Shin Bet engages in it pro forma. No prosecutions. I don’t care what the Knesset rules say. I want to know one incident in which the Knesset actually engaged in oversight over the agency & prevented it from doing something or reined in some particularly outrageous behavior. Just one incident. YOu should be able to come up with that if the Knesset is engaging in true oversight. Can you?

            Israel claims it is a democracy, but isn’t a true democracy. It’s a partial democracy only for Jews–Arabs need not apply.

    2. A progressive thinker will naturally be very upset when he reads ignorant, racist, and nasty comment after comment. Progressives are not impassive, you know. They have strong feelings about justice. Richard has more patience with a lot of these clowns than I would. I have long since given up trying to reason with bigots, and yet I’ve seen Richard post countless rebuttals to ignorant commentors.

      As for this “why don’t you go live in Palestine” bullshit, not that it’s worth answering, that’s just a way of trying to shut somebody up. I remember on another forum a poster saying anyone against the war in Iraq should go there and fix things themselves. Naturally that argument makes no sense and neither does this one, but a coward behind his computer can call someone else a coward when he takes a stand and puts all his energy into a very important cause. And anyway Richard does more here in the States from his blog than he could accomplish in the West Bank or Gaza, so it’s important that he stay here and continue to do what he’s been doing.

      Congratulations Richard, in an age where true journalism is dying you’re reviving the art. 🙂

      1. Your 2nd grade reading comprehension teacher should be given a fine for not doing her job.

        No one ever asked Richard to move to Palestine:
        “Perhaps if Richard was truly brave, he would go to Israel/Palestine and fight for what he is passionate about.”

        I don’t even believe doing so would help the Palestinian cause. However, he shouldn’t consider himself a brave person for posting his opinions from the safety of his own house while other truly brave persons are out in the field taking action.

        1. Like you? What are you doing besides carping, whining & shilling in performing pro-Israeli advocacy?

          Because of the way you’ve formatted this comment I can’t tell who you’re replying to or what your pt is in the first 2 paragraphs.

  3. “Many?” And you know this how? I’m only seeing one visitor saying that. And even if there are ten you’re a very small proportion of everyone who reads this blog. As such you’re a statistical fluke.

    but I do not intend to let that happen. I want there to be room in the community for people with opinions like mine, too.”

    You want to get your voice heard but you deny the minority group that oppose your views their voice. You want a democracy in israel and want the minority views heard but in this blog you deny it.

    you have called me hasbarist, right wing, liar etc. yet I have not sorted in that name calling even thou I think your armuments are extreme. Yet every time I have provided sources that support my arguments and you have ignored them completely.

    1. you deny the minority group that oppose your views their voice.

      Like I denied you the right to publish this comment?? Really, can’t you do better than that? Do you know how many THOUSANDS of comments have been published here which disagree with my views?? And yet you have the chutzpah to claim I don’t allow disagreement. Once again, I’m sick & tired of this argument. If you want to whine about how I administer this blog, go somewhere else. The comment threads aren’t the place to do it. If you want to debate about substance, you’re welcome to do so.

      This is your last warning. Stay on topic. Talk about the subject of the post.

  4. “Stay on topic. Talk about the subject of the post.”

    As I understand this post is also about your motivation for the blog and getting you voice heard, is it not.

    “Was that the motivation for starting the blog, in the first place?”

    1. Your views are how I moderate my comment thread are not the subject of this post. So continue on this subject one more time & you won’t be commenting here. If you want to argue for the sake of arguing you can do that somewhere else. I have a very short fuse & you are on a very short leash when it comes to nonsense like what you’re engaging in. So don’t test me. Move on or move out.

  5. Richard, you are on my list of “Most Admired”. Your love of Israel has continued unabated since those days we celebrated the 1967 victory. As a non-Jew, I see the grave peril in Israeli’s policies, but many Jews feel it is better to defend Israeli policies than to take them to task. Israel has lost support throughout the world and among Jews in the USA and elsewhere. Unfortunately, Israeli policies have badly damaged the United States.

    Thanks, Richard, for your endless efforts to “call out” Israel to do what is not only best for Israel but best for the Palestinians and Americans as well.

    Which reminds me, I must send a contribution for you to continue your work. Many, many thanks!

  6. I wanted to make my points clear. I truly hope for the sake of agreeable argument, and for the future debating I ask that you would tone down your personal attacks. I find it very insulting. My last comment on this thread.

    Thanks.

  7. Congrats Richard, it’s what all bloggers aspire to – moving from commenting on, to breaking the news.

    Nice work.

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